Mental Health Week at Colorado Mesa University (CMU) has come and gone, yet to nobody’s surprise, the average Maverick might not be as stress-free and happy as can be.
Now, I am no mental health professional, but I am someone who has gone through the trials and tribulations of some mental health issues; therefore, I would like to share some of my favorite tips and tricks for making that long busy week just a little better.
Stop by Houston Hall Cafe for tea and a cookie!
Walking to Houston Hall is often times the last thing a CMU student wants to do, yet a trip to Houston Hall’s Starbucks may be exactly what you need. Between the friendly staff, the readily available meal transfers, and quick turnaround, Houston Hall cafe is rare to disappoint. Arguably one of the best parts about this? Their wide variety of tea selections, and the oh-so-fresh cookies and pastries.
Try a new local shop with friends!
Grand Junction undeservedly earned itself the infamous nickname “Junk Town” among many CMU residents, yet I would say a lot of the fun to be had in Grand Junction only takes a little bit of digging. From Copeka Coffee to The Feisty Pint and the Sang Garden Chinese Restaurant there are countless hidden gems in Grand Junction for you and your friends to discover!
Change up your scenery!
As the lately bitter weather creeps out the door and spring approaches, it’s important to realize that we end up spending a lot more time sitting in our rooms. What this means isn’t that you’re lazy, but the best thing to do for yourself can be to change up your environment for a day.
Try grabbing lunch or doing homework with some friends on top of Dominguez’s balcony, the UC patio, or check out Wubben Hall’s greenhouse!
Download a real-world mobile game!
“Pokemon Go!” may have been deleted from your phone a short couple of years ago, but just might be the necessary distraction and excuse to take a walk. This is not the only option either, given the plethora of other augmented reality and exploration games such as “Minecraft Earth”, which allows you to bring a classic into the real world and “Zombies, Run!”, an app that encourages you in athletic endeavors by telling a story of an apocalypse that you personally have to stop.
Go on a nostalgia trip!
Sometimes the best cure to anxiety is remembering how great life can be sometimes by diving deep (but not too deep!) into the memories of your middle school or high school self. This can be a lot of different activities, from looking through an old yearbook, listening to 10th-grade bangers, binging an old cartoon to even going to visit your home town via Google Maps street view.
With these being just a few of the infinite things one could do to help relieve stress and anxiety, take a moment to breathe, look around you, and find something to stop and enjoy for a bit. Sometimes a quick brain break can go a long way in reducing loads of stress piled on top of the ever-struggling college students here at CMU.
